Penningtons Manches

Samvad and Head Partnership advised IDG Ventures India Fund, Pandara Trust Scheme and Kalaari Capital Partners on their $2m investment, alongside investor 500 Startups, in digital media platform POPxo which was advised by PDS Legal and Gordon Dadds. 500 was advised by Penningtons Manches.

Samvad partner Neela Badami, senior associate Varsha Aithala and associate Anisha Shroff, and Head partner Stuart Mullins acted for IDGVI, Pandara and Kalaari.

PDS principal associate Anirudh Mukherjee, senior associates Deepti Thakkar and Karuna Thapa and associates Samyuktha Damojipurapu and Ankita Jain, and Gordon partner Deborah Evans acted for POPxo.

Penningtons partner James Klein acted for 500 Startups.

POPxo, which was launched in 2014 to blog about fashion, beauty, work, relationships and other personal issues of interest to women readership in the age group of 18-34, currently claims to be attracting nine million monthly pageviews and three million unique visitors, reported Your Story.

Having launched in March 2014 and relying on native advertising and sponsored content for its revenues, it raised Rs 3 crore from Chennai Angels in November that year, added Your Story.

Aijt Mishra, who had joined Wragge & Co as a close best friend focusing on Indian law, has joined Penningtons Manches as its London-based India group co-head.

Penningtons Manches partner and India co-head Saionton Basu has joined US firm Duane Morris’ London corporate practice, according to a press release from the firm.

The NLSIU Bangalore graduate had joined Penningtons, as it was then called, in 2011 from Platinum Partners in Delhi, where he had returned after two years with White & Case in London.

Basu was not reachable for comment.

Penningtons’ India co-head Teja Picton-Howell did not comment at the time of going to press.